A force transmission device in which the coupling of the turbine shell of the hydrodynamic component with the damper input is performed through a coupling of the turbine shell with a turbine shell hub and its form locked connection with the damper input are known from the printed document EP 1 798 446 A1. The functions of centering the damper input and the turbine shell are separated herein. The centering of the damper input is performed at a damper hub connected torque proof to the output of the vibration damper, while the centering at the turbine shell hub and the support of the turbine shell by means of an axial bearing is performed between the turbine shell and a freewheeling clutch side disk, which is associated with the freewheeling clutch of the reaction component of the hydrodynamic component. The bearing seat for the axial bearing is thus formed at the turbine shell hub. On the one side, the turbine shell hub or a disk shaped element disposed at said turbine shell hub and including a surface portion oriented in axial direction act as axial support surface for the axial bearing, and on the other side a surface portion configured at the side disk of the freewheeling clutch associated with the stator shell. This embodiment is configured rather large in axial direction, in particular through the presence of the additional turbine shell hub, and it is also characterized by increased assembly complexity besides the increased number of components. The centering diameter for the axial bearing is thus defined by a partial portion of the turbine shell hub forming an outer circumferential portion.
In order to reduce the number of components and the installation space required, the torque proof connection between the turbine shell and the damper input is performed directly, so that a turbine shell hub can be omitted, since the function of support and centering is also taken over by the damper input. An axial bearing assembly comprising at least one axial bearing is provided between the damper input of the vibration damper and the turbine shell of the hydrodynamic component, and between an additional element forming an axial support surface. A side disk of the freewheeling clutch functions as an element forming an axial support surface, which side disk is associated with the reaction component of the freewheeling clutch associated with the hydrodynamic component. For centering, the damper input is extended in radial direction towards the rotation axis. Due to the configuration of the damper input through at least one disk shaped element, the portion usable for centering is characterized by a small thickness, and thus a small and often insufficient axial centering length. Furthermore, the centering is typically not very wear resistant, in particular when at least one of the components of the centering assembly, the hub or the damper input, is not hardened. By configuring this type of centering, a centering of the axial bearing in axial direction is not provided. Said centering in axial direction is implemented in one embodiment by a respectively complex configuration of the side disk of the freewheeling clutch. The freewheeling clutch is a machined pressure cast component, which is complex and expensive to manufacture. Furthermore, embodiments with stamped sheet metal pieces are known, which are characterized by a defined shape, configuring centering surfaces. The geometric configuration of the side disk of the freewheeling clutch is thus rather complex.
In order to extend the centering portion at the damper hub, an embodiment is known from the printed document DE 10 2007 053 968 A1, in which the centering of the vibration damper and of the turbine shell is performed at the damper hub connected with the damper output, the turbine shell is connected directly torque proof to the damper input, and the radial bearing seat of the axial bearing is formed by a protrusion configured in axial direction at the inner circumference. Said protrusion is configured perpendicular to the axial support surface of the axial bearing at the damper input. The bearing seat for the axial bearing, in particular the centering diameter for the axial bearing, is thus determined by the sheet metal thickness of the damper input component. This means that, on one side, the entire connection geometry in particular for the side disk of the freewheeling clutch and for the damper hub has to be adapted to this configuration and on the other side the configuration of the damper input. This measure which provides additional axial centering length thus hardly contributes to an increase in strength.